INTELLIGENT LIGHT HELP!!

[Drewdesign]

Our Mighty Scans are still not working as they should.
(we have written about this before)
This is our last Post:

When I plugged the DMX cord into the fixtures, all of them turned on immediately and rebooted. The kept on rebooting until I uplugged them or disconnected the DMX cord.
We have a second dimmer rack for a newly added system of lights. This is controlled through DMX port 2 on orur ETC 72-144 light board. This cord runs upstairs. We then ran another cord from the output on this dimmer rack back down to the booth to plug into our house light wall panel (our panel splits the signal into a few different outputs at other parts of the theatre). I then ran the cord from our house light panel backstage onto the electric and into the fixtures.
Before we started, all of the lights were controlled together on the same DMX dimmer(s) out of our DMX port 1 on the board (we changed it to DMX port 2 so it wouldn't interfere with the existing lights - controlled through DMX port 1

We have terminated the line, still when we turn the Mighty scans on they randomly turn on and off and reset themselves.

Any help will be appropriated.
Thanks

 

[mstaylor]

Start with the easy fixes. Take one down and hook it straight off the board with a short cable and see if it does the same thing. The splitting of the DMX maybe part of the problem, depending on how those splits are wired. If it straightenes out on the short cable then you will need to figure a way to get a cable straight to the lights without the SM split. One other question, are you running dimmers in the second universe? The way your post read you put them in the second universe to get them away from the dimmers but you are still taking the DMX to the rack.

 

[lightman02]

Have you tried plugging the mighty scan directly in to the board and seeing if it does the same thing? Plus why you have two ports used for dimmers is beyond me. Unless you have over 512 dimmers it seems like a waste. I will usually use one universe for the dimmers and the second universe for the intelligent lighting, etc. Plus I don't think it's a good idea to be taking dmx out of a remote panel. I would use one DMX port for the dimmers and panels and then take a cable from universe 2 direct to you intelligent lights from the board and terminate each universe.

 

[JChenault]

If plugging the fixture directly into the console solves the problem - you might want to investigate the base DMX addresses on your fixtures. While I am not familiar with your fixtures - there is usually a control signal that will cause the fixture to reset / home. It could be that something in your network is putting out a DMX value that would be causing this. Perhaps the house light addresses conflict with the addresses for your moving lights?

As others have said - if you can simplify you cabling, trouble shooting will be easier.

 

[Lotos]

It could be that something in your network is putting out a DMX value that would be causing this. Perhaps the house light addresses conflict with the addresses for your moving lights?

I second this...
While consoles usually won't allow you to 'double patch' fixtures... There could be something else on the network spitting out data on the fixtures control channels... Causing constant resets.

Drawing up a DMX Map of what sits where can often solve these issues...
IE:
1st Universe
A.1 -> A.96 = Conventional Dimming
A.97 -> A.125 = Chroma Q Scrollers
A.231 -> A.251 = House Light Dimming Modules
A. 511 -> A.512 = MDG Hazer
2nd Universe
B.1 -> B.236 = Moving Head Fixtures
B.237 -> B.512 = LED Fixtures

Basically, make sure there are NO overlaps... Know the start address of everything you own, and how many control channels it requires. Make sure you use the current mode in your calculations. (Some fixtures can use less control channels on a 'B Mode' setting)

IE: A Rosco I-Cue uses four channels... So if I have one starting at A.191, the next one better not start until A.195 or there's going to be trouble.
OR: If you have a 24 Dimmer House Light Dimming System that lives at A.150 then you shouldn't start anything else until A.175 EVEN if you don't use all of the dimming.


Failing that, remove devices and cable from the system until the problem goes away. Then you've found your issue.

 

[Drewdesign]

Plus why you have two ports used for dimmers is beyond me. Unless you have over 512 dimmers it seems like a waste.

1st universe goes to the house (installed) dimmer rack.
2nd Universe goes to the newly added extra dimmer rack for our penthouse lights. (Sensor CEM Portable)

I will defiantly try plugging a scanner into a light and see what happens.

Thanks for the help.